Utensil plug



'May 16, 1939.

E. B. B ARN|TZ UTENSIL PLUG Filed July 15, 1937 we .5. Barn Liz Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFliZE UTENSIL PLUG Emanuel B. Barnitz, Johnstown, Pa. Application July 15, 1937, Serial No. 153,828

2 Claims.

I 24, 1936, and has for an object the provision of a utensil plug which eliminates screw fastening means and substitutes a clamping frame which not only positively holds the parts'of the plug together but is composed of a single unit which reinforces the plug, throughout, without retaining the heat of the plug, and is manually engageable with and disengageable from the plug without the use of tools.

A further'object of the invention is to provide a plug in which the cord or cable is automatically secured, from any movement independently of the plug, when the parts of the plug are engaged.

It is of course old in the art to provide detachable clips and the like for securing together the parts of a utensil plug and the present invention is designed as an I improvement thereover to provide a unitary'structure which will not augment the heat of the plug yet will not unduly encumber the same and may be expeditiously attached to and removed from the plug.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a plug constructed in accordance with the present invention illustrating the application of a portion of a cable casing,

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at one edge of the plug, a portion of the plug locking nut and cable casing being shown fragmentarily,

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the plug clamping frame constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the same,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the frame,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the plug of the present invention, a portion of which is broken away to disclose details,

Fig. 'I is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing to advantage the manner of clamping the electric cord or cable in the neck of the plug,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows likewise illustrating the V manner of clamping the cord or cable in the plug neck,

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the manner in which the protuberances of the plug neck bite into the electric cord or cable, and

Fig. 10 is a detail fragmentary prospective view looking at the inside of one part of the utensil plug showing the manner of forming the pro- 6 tuberanc'e in the cable recess in the neck of the plug.

The plug consists of twin parts H, the interior of the utensil engaging ends of which are of conventional design for the reception of the contact 10 sockets in a manner well known in the art. The neck l2 of each of the parts II is provided with a cable or cord receiving recess l3 which extends inwardly into the body of the plug, the recess being preferably of U-shape in cross section to 1 provide flat side walls against which the cable is adapted to be urged in a manner more fully hereinafter set forth. Each of the recesses I3 is provided on one of the walls thereof with a protuberance M which in the present instance consists of a rib, triangular in cross section, the rib tapering from its point of jointure with the body of the plug and terminating at the juncture of the neck I2, the smaller end of the rib terminating at approximately the inner end of said neck. When the parts H are engaged the adjacent sharp edges of the ribs are in relatively close proximity and are adapted to bite into the electric cord or cable I5, as shown to advantage in Figs. 8 and 9. The cable may be of conventional 3 design having the wires l6 thereof branched off into recesses which communicate with the recesses l3 and are engaged with contact screws I! in a manner well known in the art.

To secure the parts of the plug together, I employ a perforate frame 18, one end IQ of which consists of a relatively narrow band which completely encircles the utensil engaging end of the .plug, a similar band [9' encircling the plug approximately midway its ends, the bands being connected together by stays or strips 20. The stays or strips at each end of the frame are extended to provide finger loops 2| to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the frame. The utensil engaging end of the plug may be tapered, as indicated at 22, to facilitate engagement of the frame with the plug. The plug may be made of metal, if desired, since because of its perforate construction there will be little absorption of heat. However, if preferred the frame may be insulated or may be made of suitable non-conducting or absorbing material. I prefer, however, that the construction be substantially as shown herein, since I have found from experiment that it is desirable and conducive to the known plugs are usually made of material highv in shear especially when heated and are frequently broken in being disengaged from a utensil by the exertion of lateral pressure on the plug. Possibility of breakage with the present clamping frame is reduced to an absolute minimum.

I also prefer to employ a detachable securing means for the neck of the plug and for this purpose I have in the drawing shown a nut 23; A

quarter turn nut I have found to be sufficient and" preferable for use in this connection. The nut 23 shown advantageously in Fig. 7 includes lugs 24 on the inner periphery thereof which are adapted to engage complementalrecesses; 25 formed in the outer periphery of: the plug neck I2. Preferably a conventional cable casing 251'sv sleeved over the cable or'cord I5,.the inner end thereof being clamped: between. the nut 23 and the plug neck l2,.asrillustrated to'advantageinl ig. 6.

I have found that in use of a plug of this character the cable or cord. I5 is' positively heldfrom any movement independent of: the plug 'sincethe ribs. bite into the cable fabricwithout of course penetrating the wire insulation. By making the walls of the recess I3. square possibility of rotation of the cable or cordiis reduced to a minimum, since the pressure exerted by the ribs M effects a spreading: of the cable against the walls of the recess; When the cable I5 is mounted in the recess l3, it tends to'fiex the apart consequently an outward pressure is being constantly exerted on the clam-ping frame I 3, which prevents casual displacement of the latter. It: willalso be noted, upon reference to Fig. 5 of the-drawing; that the bands I 9' are slightly bowed parts M ofthe plug inwardly to effect yieldable engagement with the walls of the plug; and the stays 20,-as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, are of similar construction for the same purpose. When the clamping frame is to be removed pressure on the plug parts with the thumb and. fore finger permits facile removal of the frame. Preferably a shoulder is formed around the plug against which the inner end of the frame abuts to limit the movement of the frame on the plug.

The plug, is relatively small and of the modern streamlined design not only for its esthetic appea], but likewise to make the plug less cumbersome and to reduce the heating area to a minimum.

Although I have herein shown and described a prefen'ed form of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood: that various changes may be made in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts within the scope of the claims heretov appended.

What. is'claimedi is:

l. A utensil plugi'n'cluding amultii-p'art cord engaging plug body,.a unit clamping fi'ameslidably engageable with said bodyand? embodying a pair" of space bands, one of which encircles an intermediate part of thepl'ug'body, the otherba'nd encircling the. utensil engaging end of thebody; said bands being connected byfstrips bothof said bands being bowed inwardly for flexing engagement with the opposite sidesof' the plug. v

2. A utensil plug including a multi' -part body, and a clamping frame for holdingsaid parts together, the frame comprising bands; one of which encircles the plug at theutensil engagi'ng end of the latter, theother bandencircling an intermediatepart' of the plug, said ban being connected" by" strips, the bands and strips being bowed inwardly'fo'r flexing engagementwitli the outer" wallof the plug body.

EMANUEL B. BARNITZ'L all 

